Dr. Sang Uk Joo is a Professor of Sport Management at St. Thomas Aquinas College. Before joining STAC, he taught Sport Management at Messiah University in Pennsylvania. He earned his Ph.D. in Sport Studies from the University of Iowa, an M.S. in Sport Management from the State University of New York at Cortland, and a Master of Physical Education in Sociology of Sport from Korea National Sport University in South Korea.
His academic interests are in sport management, sport media, and the sociology of sport. His research examines the cultural and social meanings of sport, with particular interests in sport media, race and gender, Asian and Asian American athletes, and sport entertainment. His recent research has explored topics including Asian American athletes in U.S. media, sport reality and entertainment programs, and the spectator experience at intercollegiate athletic events.
Dr. Joo is passionate about teaching and believes that sport management education should connect classroom learning with real-world experiences. He emphasizes practical learning opportunities that help students better understand the sport industry and prepare for their future careers.
Dr. Joo is also a lifelong sports enthusiast. He enjoys both participating in and watching sports, especially baseball, golf, tennis, skiing, and fitness activities.
RESEARCH
Lee, M., & Joo, S. (in progress). Sport Experience Design: The Impact of Physical and Relational Contexts at Intercollegiate Athletic Events. Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics.
Joo, S., & Lee, M. (2026). 100 Neoliberal Subjects in Physical: 100. The Sport Journal. https://thesportjournal.org/article/100-neoliberal-subjects-in-physical-100/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Joo, S. (2022). The Emergence of the Asian-American Sporting Body: Michael Chang and Model Minority Discourse in the Post-Reagan Era. Journal of Sports Media, 17(1), 51-68.
Joo, S., & Lee, M. (2019). Small Victory: Imitation as mimicry in American Pastime. International Journal of Human Movement Science, 13(2), 1-7.
ACADEMIC CONFERENCES
Joo, S. (2025, March) Soccer as a Male Preserve in Shooting Stars. Paper presented at College Day, St. Thomas Aquinas College, Sparkill, NY.
Joo, S., & Lee, M. (2024, October). 100 Neoliberal Subjects in Physical: 100. Paper presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
Joo, S., & Lee, M. (2022, November). Soccer as a Male Preserve in Shooting Stars. Paper presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
Joo, S. (2020, July) COVID-19 and Online Conference. Panel presentation at the Korean Society of Sport Policy Conference, Seoul, South Korea.
Lee, M. & Joo, S. (2020, May). Sport Experience Design: The Impact of Physical and Relational Contexts at Division-III Athletic Events. Poster presentation at the North American Society for Sport Management Annual Conference, San Diego, CA.
Kim, Y., & Joo, S. (2019, November). Influence of Sociocultural Contexts on Sports Match Fixing: South Korean Elite Amateur Sports. Paper presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Virginia Beach, VA.
Joo, S., & Lee, M. (2018, November). Asian American Jazz behind the Barbed Wire. Paper presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Vancouver, BC. Canada.
Joo, S. (2016, November). “Little, Yellow, Different, Better”: The Commodification of Michael Chang. Paper presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Tampa Bay, FL.
Joo, S. (2014, November). Small Victory: Imitation as mimicry in American Pastime. Paper presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Portland, OR.
Joo, S. (2012, November). Reading Michelle Wie within Postfeminist and Postracial Discourses. Paper presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA.
Joo, S., Erickson, E., & Lee, M. (2012, October). Sports Illustrated Feature Stories of Asian-descent Male Athletes. Poster presented at the Sport Marketing Association Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.
Joo, S. (2011, November). The Negotiation of Asian-American Men’s Identity in Hypermasculine Weight Training Spaces. Paper presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN.
Joo, S. (2010, November). Gender and Nation in Women’s Sport Film. Paper presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, San Diego, CA.
Fay, T., Velez, L., Heisey, K., & Joo, S. (2008, September). One World, One Dream, Different Brand Perception: The Olympic and Paralympic Games. Paper presented at the European Association for Sport Management Conference, Heidelberg, Germany.
Foundations of Recreation and Sport, Sport Psychology, Organization and Administration of Recreation and Athletics, Senior Seminar